Saving Fish from Drowning - Heal Burma

AMY TAN
side of the note was addressed, in crudely printed letters, to “Mr.
Hary BAily.” Inside, the note said: “Special for you. Please see
quick.” The wrapped object was light and as small as a matchbox,
and in fact when Harry laid open the cloth, he saw that it was a
matchbox, decorated with a picture of two natives leading an ele­
phant. On the sides were elegant squiggles of Burmese writing. Who
would give him matches? He didn’t smoke. He shook it. Ah, some­
thing was inside—a camcorder tape. Its label said in neat script:
“Trip to China/Myanmar.” On the other side was written: “Tape #1:
12/16/00.”
Harry saw no interesting significance in these words. He guessed
that the tape contained material that the reporter wanted him to re­
view before the next day’s shoot. In the late afternoon they would
leave Mandalay for Rangoon, where, according to three other eye­
witness reports, Moff and the children had been seen wandering in a
daze in the jade market. Terribly thoughtful that the Burmese TV
station provided him with background material, but why the devil
didn’t they include something with which to watch the bloody thing?
He was accustomed to having the production of his TV shows run in
an efficient manner, with the underlings thinking ahead for what his
needs and preferences might be. Best go find a camcorder, so he
could study the contents while having his breakfast. He put on a
freshly pressed white shirt and tan shorts fastened with a crocodile
belt that matched his loafers, which he wore sockless. When you’re
a TV personality, you have to look the part twenty-four hours a
day. He slipped the tape into his shirt pocket and headed down to
the lobby to search for a suitably equipped tourist. They certainly
worked him hard, and without paying him a cent. But it was worth
it, anything to keep his friends in the public eye.
Surprisingly enough, there were a fair number of guests, whereas
only the previous week all the hotels had been nearly empty in the
wake of panic over the missing tourists. Harry reasoned that his re­
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